Duval County’s first lagoon community welcomed its first homeowner this week, marking a milestone for a 2,700-home master-planned development taking shape on Jacksonville’s Westside.

The move-in officially launched life inside Diamond Springs, a residential community developed by Metro Development Group at the intersection of Normandy Boulevard and Bright Lagoon Boulevard.

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Kinsley Ferrell, 2, plays her guitar in the living room of her new home as her father, Navy veteran Travis Ferrell, right, watches Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026. The Ferrell family was the first to move into Jacksonville’s first Metro lagoon community called Diamond Springs.The lagoon concept is designed for kayaking and swimming, with amenities such as a swim-up bar, a floating obstacle course and a splash pad. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

MetroLagoons “serve as an ideal gathering place in our communities” and are “like a town center,” according to the development’s website.

At the center of Diamond Springs will be Metro’s signature lagoon amenity, designed to give residents a resort-style experience typically associated with vacation destinations. Plans for the lagoon include kayaking, swimming, a floating obstacle course, a splash pad and a swim-up bar.

A banner hangs on the fence surrounding where the lagoon area will be built at Diamond Springs, Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Metro Development Group is developing the land near Cecil Airport. The lagoon concept is designed for kayaking and swimming, with amenities such as a swim-up bar, a floating obstacle course and a splash pad. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

A banner hangs on the fence surrounding where the lagoon area will be built at Diamond Springs, Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Metro Development Group is developing the land near Cecil Airport. The lagoon concept is designed for kayaking and swimming, with amenities such as a swim-up bar, a floating obstacle course and a splash pad. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

Ultimately, Diamond Springs will include a mix of single-family homes and townhomes built by DRB Homes, D.R. Horton, Dream Finders Homes and Lennar.

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Beyond housing, the community is designed with connectivity and sustainability in mind with plans for miles of multi-modal paths, solar streetlights and high-speed internet.

A fence surrounds the area where the lagoon will be built at Diamond Springs, Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Metro Development Group is developing the land near Cecil Airport. The lagoon concept is designed for kayaking and swimming, with amenities such as a swim-up bar, a floating obstacle course and a splash pad. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

A fence surrounds the area where the lagoon will be built at Diamond Springs, Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Metro Development Group is developing the land near Cecil Airport. The lagoon concept is designed for kayaking and swimming, with amenities such as a swim-up bar, a floating obstacle course and a splash pad. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

Metro estimates that up to 80% of homes will back up to preserves or water features, integrating natural habitat into the neighborhood’s layout.

Community representatives gathered Feb. 11 to welcome the neighborhood’s first homeowner, Travis Ferrell, formally marking the project’s transition from a construction site into an active neighborhood.

Navy veteran Travis Ferrell was greeted by members of Metro Development Group Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026 after being the first to move into Jacksonville's first Metro lagoon community called Diamond Springs.The lagoon concept is designed for kayaking and swimming, with amenities such as a swim-up bar, a floating obstacle course and a splash pad. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

Navy veteran Travis Ferrell was greeted by members of Metro Development Group Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026 after being the first to move into Jacksonville’s first Metro lagoon community called Diamond Springs.The lagoon concept is designed for kayaking and swimming, with amenities such as a swim-up bar, a floating obstacle course and a splash pad. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

“This milestone represents both a first for our company in Jacksonville and for Duval County,” said Lisa Gibbings, Metro Development Group’s vice president of corporate affairs. “Welcoming our first homeowner is incredibly meaningful. It marks the start of a thoughtfully designed community centered around lifestyle, recreation and long-term growth.”

As Jacksonville continues to grow, Metro officials said Diamond Springs is expected to help expand housing options while bringing new infrastructure investment to West Jacksonville.

Construction and home sales are expected to continue throughout 2026 as additional phases of the development come online.

Metro Development Group, founded in 2003 and based in Tampa, is Florida’s largest privately held residential developer. The company has become known for its large-scale, amenity-driven communities and its MetroLagoon concept, which has been implemented across the state.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: First homeowner moves into Diamond Springs lagoon community